Student Organizations

Grinnell has more than 200 student groups, ranging from the serious to the silly, but no sororities or fraternities. Groups meet daily, weekly, or monthly. If you don't see a group you like on the list, make one!

The Asexual/Aromantic Support Network focuses on providing a safe space for asexual/aromantic spectrum students and their allies to discuss their identities and their experiences navigating the world of compulsory sexuality and romanticism.

Peer Support Group is a student-facilitated safe and confidential space for all students to share any personal issues they may be facing. This does not mean that one must have a major issue in their life that's affecting them; rather, we encourage anybody to come who is interested in helping others out by being a supportive ear. Students will meet weekly with the same people in small groups to build close bonds.

Need to talk? You can email the Queer Mentorship Program and ask for a mentor to meet with confidentially, one on one, and talk about issues related to sexuality and gender identity. Interested in mentoring? We're always looking for student mentors.

The Stonewall Resource Center exists as a confidential safe space to serve the campus' Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning community and their Allies. Our primary focus is to provide resources and information about GLBTQ issues and to facilitate educational programming and activities on campus.

Grinnell student-athletes realized the lack of resource-centered outreach toward members of the campus athletic community. We wanted to dedicate leadership positions to student-athletes in order to create a more visible bridge between the athletic teams and the plethora of wellness, academic, social, and athletic resources at Grinnell.

TAG meets weekly in the SRC to discuss issues of transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, and other non-binary gender presentations and identities. Meetings are open to all trans and cisgender individuals interested in learning more about gender and gender issues.

Go (围棋 in Chinese) is the oldest board game still played in its original form. It is a game of strategy, where two players fight for territory. There are few rules, but this freedom allows for the game to be as simple or complex as the players desire. Players of any skill level are welcome!

Model UN is a student group dedicated to learning about international politics via simulations. We travel to conferences, where we represent different countries and simulate the happenings of the real UN in New York.

We are a group of NBA fanatics, who love the game of basketball! We try to watch, and project every single basketball game all around campus for students to watch. No discrimination, but if you are a Lakers fan you are not welcomed. JK.

Join us weekly for some sub-free fun! When the clock strikes 12, the lights go out, the doors lock, and Noyce becomes a battleground. Select your weapon and load up on ammunition so you are ready to defend yourself. Nerf at Noyce also hosts a campus-wide Humans vs. Zombies competition every semester.

If you want to learn how to make more PUNgent puns, come PUNctually to the weekly meetings to practice and learn technique. We'll become PROSe with puns together! We also host semi-regular competitions and performances, for better or for WORDS. If you want to watch PROSE sports, but don't want to learn how to yourself, these events are for you.

Quiz bowl is a team activity/sport in which five people work as a team to answer questions and earn the most points possible. Questions range from all sorts of topics such as academics to sports and movies.

Safe, Sane, Consensual is a student group that seeks to provide a safe space for Grinnellians to discuss, and engage with kink, BDSM, and otherwise non-normative sexuality in a positive, respectful, self-aware, and responsible ways. We also provide resources and practical knowledge for students interested in or curious about topics related to kink and BDSM through demonstrations, workshops, and closed and open discussions.

This is a community of science fiction and fantasy lovers. Each Friday evening, we meet to enjoy TV marathons of shows like like Star Trek and Doctor Who. We provide snacks as well. This group also serves as a substance-free alternative to other weekend activities.

The Sexual Health Information Center (SHIC), located on the 1st floor of Main residence hall, provides free peer education services and a variety of sexual health products to Grinnell students at little or no cost. The SHIC can also be reserved as a space for sex-related events and workshops. We host various events throughout the year such as study breaks, movie nights, and we have brought speakers to Grinnell in the past. We are student-run, queer-friendly and sex-positive!

GSFC is a student organization that aims to unite Grinnellians through the power of soccer. In GSFC we invite all Grinnellians to come watch the beautiful game and meet other Grinnellians who may or may not share the same passion.

Grinnell College Climbers is a group dedicated to building community amongst student rock climbers by attending rock climbing competitions, organizing trips to outdoor climbing locations, and by holding group climbing sessions at Grinnell's rock wall.

Students learn how to properly defend themselves by learning how to punch, kick, grapple, and fight with and against weapons such as knives and bats. This class is open to anyone of any experience (most of our students are predominantly first timers!) and modifications can be made for students with disabilities. All equipment is provided.

"The Sticky Tongue Frogs," or The Stickies, is Grinnell College's women's ultimate frisbee team. We practice three times a week, attend weekend tournaments around the region, and host our own tournament in the fall. We're an inclusive, fun, and competitive team; we welcome players of all experience levels and don't make cuts, yet have made it to DIII Ultimate Frisbee Nationals since 2010, even placing second and winning the sportsmanship award in 2012.

Our Unified Sports team aims to promote social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences, Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Unified Sports were inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding.

Women's club water polo is a spring sport that runs from late February through mid-April. We practice 3-4 times a week and have 3 tournaments. No experience is necessary to join the team, in fact, most people on the team started playing in college. We welcome beginners and love teaching people the game. It's great exercise, and quite a bit of fun. Join us!

Yoga Club aims to provide yoga classes for Grinnellians and community members at no cost. We strive to foster healthy life practices, with an emphasis on stress-reduction and self-care. Open to all backgrounds and levels of experience. Our classes typically feature vinyasa (continuous body movement) and hatha (slower paced, stretching and meditative) styles of yoga.

Food House is a Project House consisting of 12 house members and plenty of our constant dinner guests who complete our community. We spend a lot of time cooking and bonding over meals and our love of food and food justice.

We are a group of students who come together to cook meals and bake together, with one exception, everything we make will be gluten free. That way, people with some form of gluten intolerance or allergy along with everyone else can participate.

The student garden is an on-campus vegetable garden that allows Grinnell College students to learn about organic gardening and to harvest their own food. It includes nine beds, a greenhouse to extend the growing season, and composting bins for communal use.

Vegan Coop is a vegan cooking and eating club. Several students volunteer to cook and host one animal-product-free dinner a week, sending out a menu and asking for coop members to RSVP the morning before they cook. In turn, coop members who have RSVP'd graciously volunteer to pay $3, socialize, and eat a delicious vegan meal.

Multicultural

African and Caribbean Student Union (ACSU)

The African and Caribbean Student Union seeks to celebrate the rich diversity of the African diaspora by engaging the Grinnell community through education, community, and dialogue, coordinate activities with multicultural peer organizations, and serve as a home-away-from-home for international Africans, Caribbean students, black Americans and all students with interest in the efforts and values of ACSU.

The Asian and Asian American Association hopes to educate the student body about Asian American culture and issues and exists to provide a safe space for all students and faculty where one can discuss the experiences of Asian Americans on campus.

We as Concerned Black Students want to provide a community within all cultures, as a way to unite and strengthen diversity amongst ALL Grinnellians. As a subunit of the intercultural community here at Grinnell College, we plan to educate, raise awareness, and ultimately create a safe haven for black students and those who support black students.

NASA is a newly revived program at Grinnell where anyone and everyone can join and learn more about Native American peoples as well as global indigenous peoples. Not only does NASA serve as a safe place for Grinnellians to discuss cultural, social, political, and educational concerns regarding indigenous people, it serves as a gateway to be more actively involved with the local indigenous community, the Meskwaki Settlement among other awesome opportunities.

The purpose of SOL shall be to create a community that will nurture cultural pride, as well as awareness, amongst all its members. SOL resolves to create and support a cultural and social network that preserves and encourages cultural identity and autonomy; promotes awareness of political and social issues affecting Latino society; and serves as an education resource for the community.

Performance, Art, and Publication

B&S

We are a bi-weekly satirical newspaper publication that is part of Grinnell College’s Student Publications And Radio Committee (SPARC). As an established campus publication, each month we hope to bring to the campus a breath of humor and our own twisted commentary on campus and national events.

The Student Ceramic Studio located in the protruding building off the South Campus loggia is a student run studio with unlimited access to clay, throwing wheels, glazes, kilns, and all kinds of other materials. We have open hours daily 8-10pm and Saturdays 3-5pm when anyone can come in to learn how to make pottery on the wheel or by hand.

Colorguard is a casual group that gets together to spin flags (like in marching band). It's very informal and all experience levels are welcome. We learn a short routine to perform at the end of each semester.

GC1115 uses artistic projects to create social spaces which are intended to inspire discussions and a sense of community. Our projects often deal with issues such as social equality and sustainability. Many of our projects are modeled off of plans from the art collective N55, and created through interdisciplinary methods.

Grinnell Monologues, started in 2002 as a response to Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues, expands on the original themes about feminism and women's empowerment to include body, relationship, and sexuality issues. Students meet for a writing workshop twice weekly and can participate in a performance each semester.

We perform skits, combining them into an hour long performance for college students, faculty, and staff as well as community members. The skits are based on short stories written by local elementary school children.

This club is for those who have an interest in photography, either digital or film. We will learn about various techniques and then use them to create fantastic photographs while having fun and meeting new people.

Salseros de Grinnell is Grinnell College's only student group that dances salsa, bachata and reggaeton. We also offer lessons weekly to the Grinnell student body, perform in Grinnell as well as attend and host salsa socials in Grinnell and in Iowa.

This quote by Eudora Welty perfectly sums up the goal of this club: "My continuing passion is to part a curtain, that invisible shadow that falls between people, the veil of indifference to each other's presence, each other's wonder, each other's human plight." This writing club combines group writing strategies suggested by the Amherst Writers Association, Peter Elbow, Lucile Vaughan Payne, and more, as writers enjoy a safe space to grow and cook their ideas.

Political

Campus Democrats

We hope to bring attention to issues that are particularly important to members of our group through events, social media, and direct contact with elected representatives. We also hope to educate ourselves and the student body on the side of politics neglected during election season.

The International Affairs Club meets each week for student-led discussions on current or historical events that have a global impact. We also promote campus-wide discussions on global affairs through various events such as documentary showings and debate panels.

Religious and Spiritual

Chalutzim

Chalutzim (Hebrew for Pioneers), the Jewish student organization, is a diverse community in which students celebrate and learn about Judaism. We hold religious services on campus as well as educational, cultural and social programming. We also participate in interfaith dialogue, multicultural activities and promote diversity on campus. All of our activities are open to everyone.

The Christian Science Organization is composed of students, faculty, and staff who are striving to perceive the spiritual sense of the Scriptures and to apply this understanding to their daily lives, demonstrating the science of Christianity. At the weekly meetings we explore issues together and share ideas and experiences relating to our individual spiritual progress.

FOGG is a discussion-based, non-ouija group for those who wish to explore the supernatural/spiritual aspect of Grinnell College and beyond. Our group, comprised of both enthusiasts and skeptics, will use discussion of personal experiences with the supernatural and media/literature representations of the supernatural to set a broader context for the on-campus night field trips to numerous sites both on and off

Young Muslims is is a pioneering national youth organization that addresses the vital role of Muslim youth in North America, and seeks to inspire them to carry Islam forward and become leaders of tomorrow. YM brings together young Muslims of all backgrounds to serve their faith, helping them tackle real-life issues and offering support needed to live their lives as dedicated Muslim youth.

Al Éxito is a statewide organization that pairs 8th grade Latin@s with adult mentors to foster academic achievement, community service, and participation in post-secondary education. In the 2014-2015 academic year, we created, organized, and facilitated workshops all over the state of Iowa to familiarize Latino families with the college application process, financial aid, and essay writing.

Grinnell College Alternative Break (GCAB) is a student-run organization that offers students the opportunity to travel as members of a fun, safe, and intentional service community during their Fall and Spring breaks. By living and working in the communities they serve, students develop new perspectives, enhance leadership skills, and participate in educational and hands-on community service projects.

Our group is dedicated to improving the welfare and the lives of exotic animals in captivity at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. We aim to do this through “goal-oriented enrichment”, which is the process of providing stimulating objects and environments to the animals in order to bring about natural behaviors not necessarily used in captivity, like foraging, or to reduce detrimental behaviors like pacing.

Grinnell Community Meal is served by volunteers and coordinated by Grinnell College students. The meal takes place every Tuesday (except during the month of August and the weeks of Christmas and New Years) at the Davis Elementary School on the corner of Broad and Hamilton. The meal FREE and open to the public.

Dissenting Voices is a student-driven campaign to end campus sexual violence. We are an activist group committed to educating students about their civil right to education free from sexual violence and harassment, while also pushing policy and legislative change at the college level for better administrative enforcement of that same right.

Food For Thought is Grinnell's chapter of the national organization, Real Food Challenge, which works to create a more just, sustainable, healthy, and humane food system by shifting the product sourcing at colleges and universities dining halls.

FRN unites students at colleges and universities to fight food waste and hunger by recovering perishable food that would otherwise go to waste from their campuses and the surround communities and donating it to people in need. The Grinnell College Chapter of Food Recovery Network works with Dining Services, Mid-Iowa Community Action, First Presbyterian Church, and various local businesses to combat hunger in Grinnell by diverting recoverable foods from landfills to low-income families.

We are a student group that wants to work to connect the college and the community by doing volunteer service with children in town, e.g. at the Drake Community Library or in cooperation with the Middle School.

We're a group of students who go to the local middle school every Friday afternoon to run a different art project each week. We strive to provide a safe, friendly environment where kids feel free to nurture their creative and imaginative side.

The Intersectional Feminism Alliance is a campus improvement group. Our goals fall into three different categories. Safety: Giving Grinnellians the tools they need to feel safer and be safer in various campus environments Awareness: Educating the campus community about intersectionality and feminist issues Activism: Campaigning for change concerning on- and off- campus feminist issues

Grinnell IOWATER aims to improve water quality and conservation awareness in the Grinnell area and develop a sustainable network of skill sets, knowledge, and passion for the importance of our water resources.

Liberty in North Korea is a human rights non-profit organization that aims to provide aid and opportunities for North Korean refugees. LiNK at Grinnell is a chapter of this organization that hopes not only to raise awareness concerning the issues in North Korea, but also raise funds to support refugees.

The Grinnell Local Foods Network is a student group dedicated to raising support on campus for locally-grown foods and to fostering meaningful relationships between students and producers. We facilitate monthly on-campus distributions of local foods, we partner with the Student Garden, and we host a number of popular events that feature local food and promote community.

Ni Ka Na is a mentoring program that works with elementary through high school age students at the Meskwaki Settlement School. The Meskwaki Settlement is near Tama, Iowa and is about 30-45 minutes away from Grinnell. The school caters primarily to students of Native American descent. Grinnell students work with Meskwaki students who are possibly struggling in some aspect of their lives. Each student is paired with a high school and an elementary age child and close personal bonds are formed!

Oxfam is an international NGO that aims to right the wrongs of hunger, poverty, and injustice. At Grinnell this means working with the campus and the community to fight local hunger issues as well as campaigning to change the injustices in the global food system that keep people trapped in poverty.

Pals of PALS is a student group focused on providing transportation to students and fostering community among the volunteers of PALS and the college students. At PALS, we help take care of and provide love and care to shelter cats and dogs to ensure that they have the best life possible.

The Social Entrepreneurs of Grinnell (SEG) is a microfinance organization made up of students and community members from the town of Grinnell, Iowa, USA. Originally conceived as a Grinnell College student group raising money for entrepreneurs in developing countries, SEG now implements microloans in communities around the world and provides microfinancing services to the local Grinnell community.